HawkwindSpace Ritual

The crowning achievement for space rockers Hawkwind, Space Ritual captures a blistering live show from 1972. Rhino bring this monstrous double LP back to vinyl again. These extended freak-out jams, complete with spoken word sections, screeching riffs and berserk electronic breakdowns are how Hawkwind are meant to be experienced.

REVIEWS

Hawkwind were the first band I ever saw, on Sunday February 9th 1975 at the Hammersmith Odeon. They were fantastic.

Lemmy and Stacia were in the band, and it was the group's best incarnation. This live set captures them at their thunderous

best. At the time, they were derided by many critics for their overwhelming wall of sound, but it should be noted that

Johnny Rotten was a huge fan. Utterly magnificent, and a defining moment in their long career.

"Born To Go" ? I'm already gone......

10/10ShaunCRogan
Customer review, 25th February 2016

It is impossible to do justice to the genius of this record with mere trifling words but here goes...

Hawkwind are the greatest space rock band ever and this is their ultimate outpouring of that approach. Space Ritual smashes every other live record to Valhalla. Space Ritual is a monolithic riff driven sci-fry adventure into galactic nirvana. Not one second of time is wasted on the 4 sides of mind shattering genre defining music to be found here. Space Ritual is definitive. Every heavy space rock drone cosmic band since Space Ritual has tried to emulate or even surpass it. All have failed miserably.

The simple reason is the unique fusion of relentlessly driving rhythms propelled by Lemmy, Dave Brock and Simon King fused with the electronic oscillating, brain swimmingly demented soundscapes of Del Dettnar and Dik Mik, the heroically absurd saxophone squonks of Nik Turner and the awesome poetry of Robert Calvert. Space Ritual will never be beaten. If you don't have it you really are missing out on of the great thrilling rides you can have with music. It will change your life and reduce you to rubble. Just buy.